Photos: FIA F3 Championship
The ‘new’ Formula 3 might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but one thing is for certain: the grid is of the highest quality.
It’s a subjective concept of course, but it could easily be argued that two-thirds of the capacity field of 30 drivers – most of them aged between 17 and 20 – have shown some level of genuine promise in their short single-seater careers to-date.?With just 16 races, there are possibly more potential race-winners than there are races.
Not everyone will have the tools to win, but the competition promises to be a lot fiercer than the latter years of the championship’s natural predecessor GP3, when one team often dominated proceedings.
Who are the 30 drivers and how do their individual chances of success look heading into the season?
ART Grand Prix
ART absolutely dominated GP3, winning the teams’ title in eight out of the nine seasons. With other top teams joining in from European F3, it’s highly unlikely that it can sustain quite that level of form, especially with the driving talent more fairly spread out. Indeed, taking on two full-blown rookies at F3 level in season one could be seen as something of a gamble, even though both come backed by Renault. But ART’s GP3 knowledge – particularly with the tyres – should only help it in its quest for a first F3 title since Jules Bianchi’s 2009 success.
1. David Beckmann
Germany, 19
2018: 5th in GP3
Beckmann gave ART its greatest GP3 headache for some time when he joined Trident in the middle of last year and took back-to-back qualifying and race one wins. It was a return to the sort of form that marked him out as one to watch in Formula 4 and his first season in F3. Remaining at this level against stronger opposition rather than taking his momentum to F2 is something of a risk, and he needs to hope he gels with ART as well as he did Trident. His and his team’s GP3 experience should make him a favourite, but he’s generally trailed his rookie team-mates in testing.
2. Max Fewtrell
Britain, 19
2018: Formula Renault Eurocup champion
He’s yet to really generate some of the hype of many of his rivals, but Fewtrell arrives in F3 with a formidable record: a British F4 title in his first year out of karts, a Formula Renault Eurocup rookie title and then last year’s overall crown. To fight for another title in 2019 against drivers with GP3 and F3 experience would probably be a stretch, but a repeat of the top six he achieved in his maiden Eurocup campaign is well within his reach. That may not be enough to satisfy Renault however: while Fewtrell saw off the challenge of Christian Lundgaard last year, it could be a much tougher challenge now they’re both rookies and in the same team.
3. Christian Lundgaard
Denmark, 17
2018: 2nd in Formula Renault Eurocup
If his two F4 titles as a fresh karting graduate were too easy to dismiss, Lundgaard certainly made people sit up and take notice by nearly also taking the Eurocup title first time out. A similar achievement really shouldn’t be possible in FIA F3 against so many highly-rated drivers who benefit from greater experience. And yet, Lundgaard has been part of a clear top four that formed during pre-season testing. He was fastest at Paul Ricard, and second quickest at both Barcelona and the Hungaroring. His relative inexperience compared to his rivals should surely catch him out at some point in a championship where consistency could be crucial, but the ingredients are all there for a very impressive campaign nonetheless.
MP Motorsport
While its F2 efforts have become something of a struggle, MP Motorsport proved it could compete at F3 level with a strong maiden campaign in GP3 last year. That was in spite of having a rotating cast of drivers, as it twice promoted to fill gaps in its upper series. At one stage over the winter it looked the least organised outfit in terms of pulling an FIA F3 line-up together, but its final trio is a strong one that’s looked good in pre-season testing.
4. Liam Lawson
New Zealand, 17
2018: 2nd in ADAC F4, 2019: Toyota Racing Series champion
Looking purely in terms of his European racing, Lawson is making a huge leap up from Formula 4 to the new FIA F3. But it’s one that’s totally justified on the basis of his phenomenal success of the intervening winter, when he won the Toyota Racing Series in his native New Zealand at the first time of asking. To do it, he took on and beat an FIA F3 title favourite in compatriot Marcus Armstrong. That Red Bull snapped him up within days was entirely logical. Lawson’s arrival on the grid with MP looked an afterthought alongside his plans to race traditional F3 machinery, but he quickly got up to pace. A title run seems unlikely, especially trying to balance it with another in Euroformula Open, but it would be foolish to rule it out either.
5. Simo Laaksonen
Finland, 20
2018: 14th in GP3
He might have only finished 14th in the standings, but Laaksonen was pretty impressive in GP3 last year, culminating in a run of consistent points finishes and a podium in the season finale. It was encouraging from a driver who had barely registered through an underwhelming few early years in cars. Making such an impression is going to be harder in this field, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him troubling the points again on occasion. Yet while he was seventh fastest on the first day of pre-season at Paul Ricard, he then didn’t appear again in the top 10 thereafter.
6. Richard Verschoor
Netherlands, 18
2018: 15th in GP3
Having abandoned a torrid spell in Formula Renault, former Red Bull junior Verschoor re-showed his potential with his four-round GP3 cameo with MP, scoring in each event and making the podium in Sochi. He toyed with the idea of filling one of the team’s F2 berths into pre-season, but wisely decided that would be a step too soon. FIA F3 presents him with a chance to re-establish himself as a top prospect, having previously won against some of the expected frontrunners in TRS. Testing started rather promisingly at Paul Ricard when he was sixth on both days, but he could do no better than 10th in any of the subsequent days.
Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
Just a year after its move into F2, Charouz has expanded its efforts into FIA F3, carrying the same Sauber Junior Team branding as in the upper series. While the Czech outfit has a strong recent track record, it lacks a reputation at this level to match its rivals, and while its line-up features a nice mix of promise and experience, none of them start among the favourites.
7. Lirim Zendeli
Germany, 19
2018: ADAC F4 champion
Zendeli is another making the considerable jump up from F4, but it’s one that is completely logical and no more than he deserves. He dominated his domestic series in 2018 in his third season in the category, and did so with Ralf Schumacher’s US Racing in collaboration with Charouz. With personal funding limited, this seat is a just reward from his bosses. On paper though, the going could be pretty tough. There were a couple of stand-out results in testing – second on day one at Paul Ricard and top in the final session at Barcelona, but the latter was not a particularly representative session.
8. Fabio Scherer
Switzerland, 19
2018: 14th in European F3
The only Swiss driver across the all-new Sauber Junior Team intake, Scherer comes off the back of a better-than-expected first season at F3 level. He frequently took on more fancied names towards the front of the European series, taking a second place to Motopark team-mate Dan Ticktum at Spa and a pole position in the following round at Silverstone. With Charouz not expected to match the top teams out of the blocks, a repeat of such results seems unlikely (and especially so after a muted pre-season), but Scherer has proven himself capable of an upset.
9. Raoul Hyman
South Africa, 22
2018: Asian F3 champion
Hyman is riding something of a second wave in his single-seater career. The former F4 rival of George Russell won early in his debut GP3 season in 2017 before things petered out. Asian F3 last year was a step back, but he came away with the title, and he then featured strongly in this year’s Toyota Racing Series, claiming a debut pole and taking it to the dominant M2 Competition outfit. Sauber Junior status has given him his best platform to perform at this level, but the team could be reliant on his experience as it finds its way in F3.
HWA Racelab
If there’s a team that’s further in at the deep end than the Sauber/Charouz partnership, it’s HWA. After all, this is the German firm’s first go at running a junior single-seater team, although it has countless F3 victories under its belt as the tuner of Mercedes engines. Given its record in the DTM, it’s a welcome and highly-professional addition to the grid that could prove a popular home for drivers in the future, especially now it’s in Formula E.
10. Bent Viscaal
Netherlands, 19
2018: 2nd in Euroformula Open
Viscaal’s name is one of the lesser-known on this star-studded grid, but his short single-seater CV to date is a strong one. Last year he was the closest thing Felipe Drugovich had to a rival in Euroformula Open, beating him to four poles and a solitary win. Before that, he was a strong match for then-team-mate Lundgaard in F4. Getting one of the HWA seats is a good vindication of his potential, but if the team is playing catch-up like it appeared to be in testing, this may have to be considered a learning year.
11. Jake Hughes
Britain, 24
2018: 8th in GP3
The experienced Hughes is a shrewd signing to lead HWA’s F3 entry, and it’s something of a natural partnership given that both parties already know each other well. Something went badly wrong for Hughes at ART on his GP3 return last year, having already proven himself capable of taming the formula with DAMS in 2016. Doing much better in championship terms with newcomer HWA will be tough, but Hughes will surely be more focused on impressing his bosses with an eye on professional openings elsewhere rather than on pleasing the F1 talent spotters.
12. Keyvan Andres
Germany, 19
2018: 18th in European F3
After two years in European F3, and three in total driving the Dallara F3 car, it’s natural for Andres to move on now to what was GP3. Securing a seat at HWA is a good move that should only further his learning. But aside from a shock Norisring podium, he never finished a European F3 race higher than 10th, so expectation is that he’ll be in the rear portion of the field in this company.
Jenzer Motorsport
When outfits like Motopark missed out on an entry, the relatively unheralded Jenzer squad could maybe consider itself lucky to make the cut. But the Swiss team and Bruno Michel have been loyal to each other since it won GP3’s first ever race with Pal Varhaug. A repeat of that result this time around is highly unlikely with a driver line-up that is seriously lacking in experience, but it hasn’t been all doom and gloom in testing.
14. Yuki Tsunoda
Japan, 18
2018: Japanese F4 champion
There was a considerable raising of eyebrows when Honda announced in Abu Dhabi at the end of last year that it would bring its reigning Japanese F4 champion to FIA F3 with Jenzer. Any move for a Japanese driver to Europe is challenging enough without a huge hike in horsepower, plus a hugely strong field of drivers already proven on the continent. But Tsunoda equipped himself well from his first GP3 tests in December, something that’s continued this year: he topped the final sessions at both Paul Ricard and the Hungaroring, though neither was particularly representative. After he got very close – too close – to Lawson during the Euroformula Open curtain-raiser, Red Bull could have themselves a serious Japanese prospect, but they must show patience should he struggle here.
15. Artem Petrov
Russia, 19
2018: 20th in European F3
Petrov struggled to make much of an impression in European F3 last year with Van Amersfoort, but he’s not without ability. His wins in the super-competitive Italian and German F4 series at the end of 2017 are evidence of that. FIA F3 is unlikely to be any easier than last season, especially with Jenzer lacking a strong team leader. But there were some encouraging signs during the final test at the Hungaroring, when he was inside the top 10 on the first day.
16. Andreas Estner
Germany, 18
2018: 14th in ADAC F4
After three years in F4, it was definitely time for Estner to move on, but the step up to FIA F3 with Jenzer – taking the only seat that was still available as pre-season testing commenced – probably comes too soon. No podiums in three years in ADAC F4 isn’t a great record, but he was probably held back to some degree by his machinery, because he did make the rostrum in a one-off in Italian F4 with Van Amersfoort at the end of last season.
Trident
Trident arguably punched well above its weight in GP3, particularly in the latter years, when it was often the strongest competitor to ART. Its drivers were not always obvious contenders, but it had a knack of providing them with a car that was quick and kind to its tyres. Those habits will be good ones to take into FIA F3, but it will surely struggle to hold onto its position in the face of tougher competition.
17. Devlin Defrancesco
Canada, 19
2018: 21st in GP3
Defrancesco transferred from European F3 to GP3 in the middle of last year with his eyes set on FIA F3. He’s a driver with potential as well as strong backing: his race-winning maiden single-seater campaign in British F4 and run to third place in Euroformula Open the following year attest to that. But for whatever reason, he looked to struggle in both championships he contested last year. Pre-season testing indicates that it won’t be a different story in 2019.
18. Pedro Piquet
Brazil, 20
2018: 6th in GP3
Piquet put two mostly lacklustre years in European F3 behind him to show well in GP3 last year, getting the better of his team-mate and fellow second-generation racer Giuliano Alesi to win the reversed-grid races at Silverstone and Monza. While taking a patient approach is always to be commended, he might have been wiser to have joined Alesi is moving up to F2 over the winter, because it’s really difficult to see him improving upon – or even matching – his 2018 record from this grid. Pre-season sadly did nothing to disprove that theory: he failed to finish a single day inside the top 10.
19. Niko Kari
Finland, 20
2018: 6th in GP3
Kari had a really torrid time in GP3 last year, so much so that jumping up to F2 for the final two rounds really didn’t seem like a bad idea at all. He made a good fist of it too: his qualifying pace with so little track time was seriously encouraging. It’s therefore a shame that he seemingly lacked the funds to make the move a full-time one, because it’s hard to imagine how the talented former Red Bull junior will fare any better in FIA F3 than its predecessor. Aside from fourth place on the first day at the Hungaroring, he didn’t post any headline times in pre-season testing.
Hitech GP
Hitech never quite lived up to its potential during its European F3 stint, so some were surprised to see the calibre of driver it has managed to attract for FIA F3. But the fact is that it’s a well-resourced outfit that means serious business. It has always had strong connections with ART Grand Prix, and it goes into FIA F3 with a core of engineers formerly of the all-conquering French squad, including new technical director Christophe Perrin. It’s driver line-up is arguably a match for those at ART and Prema too.
20. Leonardo Pulcini
Italy, 20
2018: 4th in GP3
In some ways, Pulcini was the true star of the final GP3 season for his giant-killing performances with the Campos team. Hitech team boss Oliver Oakes knows just how good he is, having seen his own protege Nikita Mazepin beaten by the Italian in both Sochi and Abu Dhabi at the end of last year. They were performances that undeniably warranted a graduation to F2, but returning to take on stronger competition at this level could give him a better shot at landing the backing he needs to really move forward. He’ll still be considered an underdog against the star names coming into the series, but on the basis of a very strong pre-season, he should be right up there. His GP3 experience will be valuable but that alone won’t win him the title: if he truly stars, F1 teams should sit up and take notice.
21. Juri Vips
Estonia, 18
2018: 4th in European F3
If Pulcini was the unheralded star of GP3 in 2018, Vips was the big discovery of the year in European F3, earning legions of admirers for his?swashbuckling performances. Many of those same admirers have voiced concerns at his new backer Red Bull’s decision to place him at Hitech for FIA F3. But on the basis of pre-season, it’s not the team they need to worry about, but Vips himself. While Pulcini set the pace at Barcelona, Vips was nowhere to be seen, but sixth place on the penultimate day at the Hungaroring was hopefully a sign that he was starting to get to grips with things. Given the natural talent and flair he displayed last year, it’s hard to imagine that he won’t master it at some stage. He needs to use the presence of Pulcini next to him as a positive rather than negative influence.
22. Yifei Ye
China, 18
2018: 3rd in Formula Renault Eurocup
For some time over the winter, it was unclear where Ye would end up, and whether he would make the deserved step up to FIA F3 at all. But in the end, everything came good for him: a place at a fancied team in Hitech, as well as Renault Sport Academy backing. Of course, Ye had been courted by many of the major F1 junior programmes for some time and had been holding back on committing to one, but that was never going to be sustainable for ever. He proved to be quickly on the pace – going fifth fastest at Paul Ricard – and although a championship challenge is unlikely, a more-than-commendable top 10 position looks realistic.
Campos Racing
The Spanish squad’s heroics last season with Pulcini didn’t seem to do it too many favours in the subsequent driver market, with its 2019 line-up lacking in any sustained previous success. But two of its drivers are not without potential, and both have looked impressively strong in pre-season, so don’t rule out a few more upsets in the upcoming campaign.
23. Alex Peroni
Australia, 19
2018: 9th in Formula Renault Eurocup
Peroni’s talent is clear from his mastering of Europe’s toughest street circuits in Pau and Monaco in Formula Renault. But when he returned to more conventional circuits, he was thoroughly beaten by team-mate Lundgaard last year. The bad news for him is that there isn’t a single traditional street circuit on the FIA F3 calendar. The good news is just how strong his pre-season pace looked: he was well inside the top 10 on both days in Barcelona.
24. Alessio Deledda
Italy, 24
2018: 40th in Italian F4
There’s no hiding from the fact that Deledda is the clear weak link on this incredibly strong grid. The 24-year-old former motorcycle racer’s steps up to this level after just a single season in Italian F4, where his best finish was 17th place. It’s an incredibly ambitious move, but considering his inexperience, his pace in testing hasn’t really been too bad, hinting at at least some ability. There have certainly been drivers further adrift than him in GP3 in the past. Points will be out of reach, but they probably will be for a number of other drivers too.
25. Sebastian Fernandez
Venezuela, 18
2018: 21st in European F3
After promising showings in F4 – finishing fourth in the Italian series in 2017 – Fernandez was disappointing last year in a plum Motopark seat in European F3. Like Peroni though, he’s enjoyed a positive pre-season. The trouble is that he looked very good in Euro F3 testing too. He’s also competing in non-clashing Formula Renault Eurocup rounds, which could serve as a useful confidence boost if FIA F3 proves too tough.
Prema Racing
Having previously aborted a possible entry into GP3, Prema now arrives in its successor with all of its F3-dominating might behind it. Given how it quickly mastered GP2/F2, there’s no reason whatsoever why it can’t be immediately successful here. With three European F3 race-winners, its driver line-up is arguably the most qualified to succeed at this level, even though none of them have GP3 experience.
26. Marcus Armstrong
New Zealand, 18
2018: 5th in European F3
If any driver in this field has pressure to perform, perhaps it’s Armstrong. His combination of speed, maturity and Ferrari patronage makes him undoubtedly one of the most exciting prospects below F1. But he really needs to convert that into results this year, because after an impressive start, his European F3 campaign really fell apart last year. In the end, he won just one race. Then came disappointment in TRS for the second year in a row. His smooth driving style and ability to play the percentage game should suit FIA F3. He topped a day of testing at both Paul Ricard and the Hungaroring but Barcelona was much tougher going: something to watch on this opening weekend.
27. Jehan Daruvala
India, 20
2018: 10th in European F3
The end of Force India didn’t mean the end of the road for its home-grown protege, with Daruvala able to bag the one Prema seat not reserved for a Ferrari junior. It’s a new collaboration, but a natural one given their shared connections to the Winway coaching firm. His two-year European F3 stint never quite hit top gear, but he did a commendable job with a struggling Carlin outfit last year. He was always rapid in testing outings in the GP3 car, and though he’s slightly trailed his team-mates so far in the FIA F3 machine, he should be in the mix.
28. Robert Shwartzman
Russia, 19
2018: 3rd in European F3
On paper, Shwartzman’s rookie title and third overall in European F3 last year was a fine achievement, but it was met with some cynicism and a reluctance to give the Russian the credit for it, so this is a big season for him to prove just how good he is. Having used consistency to beat Armstrong in TRS, he then trailed him early in their rookie F3 seasons, only to come out on top in the end. Again, Armstrong probably starts as the favourite for many, but Shwartzman looked similarly strong in pre-season, and perhaps more consistent.
Carlin
After leaving GP3 three years ago, Carlin returns with a promising driver line-up, with two drivers in particular having proven themselves capable in the past of mixing it with some of the championship favourites. But despite the team’s strong record, pre-season testing has looked a struggle in terms of outright pace. If that’s replicated in competition, it will continue on from a difficult final European F3 campaign.
29. Teppei Natori
Japan, 18
2018: 2nd in Japanese F4
While Tsunoda has gained Red Bull support, his fellow Honda junior Natori brings the backing of Japanese investment firm Buzz to Carlin. His second place in Japanese F4 last year came in his first full season in the series, and he showed early promise in his additional Euroformula Open programme with Carlin. FIA F3 could be tough for him, but he has two good team-mates to learn from.
30. Felipe Drugovich
Brazil, 18
2018: Euroformula Open champion
Drugovich dominated Euroformula Open last year, hot on the heels of an MRF Challenge title. But it’s his F4 form of 2017 – when he rivalled Armstrong and Vips, winning more races than they could combined – that shows just what he could be capable of at this level. He had a couple of promising testing sessions during pre-season, but they were the slower sessions on their respective days, and less representative of the real order. He deserves and needs to be fighting at the front, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll be able to.
31. Logan Sargeant
United States, 18
2018: 4th in Formula Renault Eurocup
Considered America’s best F1 prospect, Sargeant was on his day every bit as good as Fewtrell and Lundgaard in his rookie Eurocup campaign last year. Matching the Renault-backed ART pair this year looks a big ask on the current evidence though: he didn’t once make the top 10 on any day of testing. But unlike team-mate Drugovich, Sargeant has the luxury of being able to afford to consider this a learning year.